1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a connector arrangement for making an electrical or mechanical connection of the proximal end of a lead to a terminal of an implantable stimulation device, such as a heart pacemaker, including means for fixing the proximal end of the lead in the terminal.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various types of connector arrangements are known for use with implantable heart pacemakers for the purpose of mechanically and electrically connecting a proximal end of a lead to the terminal portion of the pacemaker housing. A connector arrangement is described in German OS No. 29 14 034 corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 4,142,532, wherein the proximal end of the lead is received in a receptacle in the terminal portion of the housing, and set screws are provided in the terminal which hold the proximal end in the receptacle. These set screws extend radially and perpendicularly relative to the proximal end of the lead. As a result of this arrangement, the terminal portion, and thus the entire heart pacemaker, is relatively thick, so that it may be visible at the skin surface after implantation, which can be disturbing for the user.